can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

I have a platelike sort of flappy part in the back of my throat and i didnt notice it before when i have felt back there to regurgitate when i had small case of food poisoing. Now that i have had swallowing difficulties and sinus problems, and a lymphnode flare up , i felt back there pretty far and foudn this plate like flap in the back of my throat , its movable, right behind the tongue. Is this thing normal , could it be flared and thats why i didnt feel it before? It kind of scares me, can someone put me at ease and tell me what the hell it is ? epiglottis? softplate? what ?? thanks in advance

shenique1968

06-15-2004 08:12 PM

Re: can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

I'm not sure what it is called but I have it too and I'm ok as far as I know. :p

Abrie25

06-15-2004 08:22 PM

Re: can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

phew, i dont knwo why i had never noticed it before, i guess bc i wasnt looking ? ok, i can rule that out and concentrate on my acid reflux disease and why the hell i am having problems swallowing...my dad died of esophogial cancer when i was 14 (now 25) so i cant help but worry sometimes.

MigrainesRAPain

06-15-2004 10:25 PM

Re: can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

Ok everyone has the uvula hanging in the back of the throat.It is shaped like a U or a Teardrop and it is thought to help keep food from going down the wrong way

Abrie25

06-16-2004 06:03 PM

Re: can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

That is not what i am talking about , it is behind the tongue in the back of the throat toward the bottom. I know what a uvula is, its what i like to call the bunching bag and that is plainly obvious to see.

ladybug8372

06-16-2004 07:18 PM

Re: can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

not sure what you are talking about..but as far as the swallowing issue---are your tonsils normal size--or are they large?? I was born with large tonsils. (some people are) Never been a problem in my life. I am 31 years old. Last year, I started having problems swallowing--choking very easily. When I got severely choked on a hamburger, it scared me enough to see an ENT. We opted to do a tonsillectomy. Once he was into the surgery and got the tonsils out, he discovered that they were badly infected--full of pus, which was causing them to get bigger and bigger. This condition does not give any signs of infection and way later--once the infection gets to a severe point, you then start getting and keeping sore throats. The condition is known as cryptic tonsilitis. It can become life threatening--cause the swelling can get so bad, that your throat swells and literally blocks your airway. So I would have this looked into and not dismiss it.

Abrie25

06-17-2004 09:27 PM

Re: can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

Im not sure if its one of my tonsils, i dont think so , because im pretty sure those are above where i am referring to. I am referring to something sticking up behind my tongue from the throat, it seems, i can feel when i stick my finger down my throat, and i dont have to go very far to feel it. The best way i can describe it is like a flap of some sort, i can move it. I dont thinki its supposed to be there and im afraid it may be a flared up epiglottis or something else. I am going to see the follow up doctor at the ER in a few days...I hope its something that has to do with my allergies. I dont have problems breathing as far as i know but i do choke easily , even when i drink. Im on antibiotics for my flared lymphnodes, maybe it has something to do with that? I dont know , Ive had so many problems ever since i tested positive for Mononucleosis 7 months ago:(......Im back editing this bc I just scrutinized a diagram of the throat and now that i see the tonsils from a different view, it may be a flared Palatine tonsil. Its either that or a flared epiglottis but usually a sign of that is breathing troubles like wheezing etc.I cant see anything else in the diagram that would be what i have. Everything else further down the throat or higher up:/ IM so comfused. Hopefully the doctor can explain everything.

ladybug8372

06-18-2004 05:54 AM

Re: can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

your epiglottis has a flap on it--this could be what you are seeing/feeling. but if you are worried about it, i would go ahead and have it looked at.

when i was having those choking spells, i would choke on anything...drinks, food, even my own saliva. has anyone ever told you that you have big tonsils? do they look normal size?? if you were born with large tonsils, you may not know what "normal" looks like...but if you have seen many dr's in your life...i am sure they would have commented...every dr i have ever been to always had to comment on what large tonsils i had. hope all of this info helps. it could be that if your tonsils arent the problem, maybe the flap on your epiglottis is failing to open all the way.

kellyr16

06-18-2004 02:22 PM

Re: can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

ladybug, that is what they are seeing. I couldn't think of the name of it. Not everyone can see theirs by just sticking out their tounge. Some sit higher than others. It almost looks like a little lizard tounge sticking out. Kind of weird looking but I'm almost positive that is what you are seeing.

Abrie25

06-18-2004 06:11 PM

Re: can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

Exactly, thats a good way to describe it lol, is that the epiglottis ? I just dont get why I haven't felt it before. I feel like i would have notcied it before but maybe its bc i wasnt looking ? It may be flaring and therefore sticking out farther. As far as i know, I do not have abnormally large tonsils. btw, can choking have something to do with allergies ?

ladybug8372

06-18-2004 08:24 PM

Re: can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

LOL--I would have never guessed the epiglottis, had Abrie25 not mentioned the "flap". I was stumped as to what you could be talking about, but as soon as you mentioned flap, it hit me! LOL--I cant see mine, I dont guess--LOL--I have never thought about looking. The reason I mentioned it could be failing to close (I actually said open, but realized that choking is a sign that it failed to close) all the way is...my husband taught health/physical education..and knows the human anatomy very well. In teaching my kids about it, when they got choked, he would say "your epiglottis failed to close properly" then he, in detail, talked about what it was, where it was, and the way the "flap" works. Thats the only way I knew about it! I had heard my aunt talk about her "epiglottis" this and that, but never knew what the heck she was talking about, or even where it was! -LOL---as far as allergies---I am not familiar with that being one of the symptoms of allergies, unless you are having a severe allergic reaction where your throat swells. Both of my kids are very allergic people---have learned so much through them!!---But choking is not one of their symptoms. So, dont really know what to tell you there and be accurate.

Abrie25

06-20-2004 03:46 PM

Re: can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

ahahaha now thats pretty funny. Flap is the only way i could describe what it was even remotely accurate. Im glad you were around to put things into perspective. I still dont know what the hek its doing sticking up that far but it cant be a flared epiglottis bc id have major probs breathing right now. Anyway, i guess the rest of my questions need to be directed to the allergy board. Thanks for the info though !

ladybug8372

06-20-2004 05:59 PM

Re: can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

LOL---glad i could help! Too funny. I am glad that flap was the only way you felt that you could describe it--otherwise I dont think I could have helped you. Good luck.

shye&curious

06-20-2004 11:46 PM

Re: can some1 pls ease my worry and tell me if this is part of the throat anatomy?? TIA

it was weird reading your post because i had the same problem like a year ago! and i was going around telling people i could feel a flap and it was getting in the way of my swallowing and everyone thought i was crazy! i even did the barium swallow thing at the hospital to get xrays to see what was up... apparently it was nothing! haha but the swelling went away after about 2 weeks... i guess it was some sort of infection, the doctor never really did figure it out? lol, i'd say go see your doc and hopefully they have better luck! :)